Monday, February 28, 2011
Reverse Osmosis Plant Pakistan R.o.tack Water Technology Slideshow
Reverse Osmosis Plant Pakistan R.o.tack Water Technology Slideshow: "TripAdvisor™ TripWow ★ Reverse Osmosis Plant Pakistan R.o.tack Water Technology Slideshow ★ to Karachi by Ayaz Attari. Stunning free travel slideshows on TripAdvisor"
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Grilled eggplant panini
When a quick bite is all we need, a sandwich is the first thing that comes to mind. When we want to make it healthy and tasty, a grilled veggie panini is a great option. Eggplant particularly lends itself to grilling. My husband is allergic to eggplant, but I love eggplant. So, the grilled panini is our perfect solution, where I can use eggplant in mine and other vegetables in his sandwich. This is one of my favorite panini recipes.
Ingredients (makes 3 to 4 sandwiches)
eggplant - 1 large
whole grain sandwich buns - 6 to 8
olive oil - 1 tbsp
paprika/red chilli powder or flakes - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1/4 tsp
mozzarella cheese - 3 tbsp
Method:
Take olive oil in a bowl and mix in the paprika and salt. Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch circles. Brush eggplant and sandwich buns with seasoned olive oil mixture. Place eggplant pieces on a panini/sandwich press and grill on high until done. Grill the sandwich buns separately. Assemble the paninis by placing an eggplant piece on a sandwich bun, topping it with a tablespoon of cheese, placing another eggplant piece on top of it and covering with another sandwich bun. Serve fresh and warm.
Notes:
1. Any cheese/cheese singles can be used as per preference.
2. I use the large eggplants we get in the US - if a different variety of eggplant is used, the quantities need to be adjusted accordingly.
Ingredients (makes 3 to 4 sandwiches)
eggplant - 1 large
whole grain sandwich buns - 6 to 8
olive oil - 1 tbsp
paprika/red chilli powder or flakes - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1/4 tsp
mozzarella cheese - 3 tbsp
Method:
Take olive oil in a bowl and mix in the paprika and salt. Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch circles. Brush eggplant and sandwich buns with seasoned olive oil mixture. Place eggplant pieces on a panini/sandwich press and grill on high until done. Grill the sandwich buns separately. Assemble the paninis by placing an eggplant piece on a sandwich bun, topping it with a tablespoon of cheese, placing another eggplant piece on top of it and covering with another sandwich bun. Serve fresh and warm.
Notes:
1. Any cheese/cheese singles can be used as per preference.
2. I use the large eggplants we get in the US - if a different variety of eggplant is used, the quantities need to be adjusted accordingly.
Seafood in Tenerife
Eating fresh fish while overlooking the sea has to be one of the best things life, and it's what I've been looking forward to a lot before this holiday - sitting in the sun, sipping wine, feeling the sea breeze, and trying all the lovely local fish. In Spain, it's always a mixed platter, so this is what we ordered in Los Abrigos, Tenerife. It's a fishing village that was recommened to us by a local, and we found it just in time. We entered it from the wrong side at first and ended up coming across a moron who thought it was funny to kick a kitten under our car, which is enough to put anyone is a bad mood, and as we had a touch of cabin fever anyway from being in the car too long (well, I did anyway), this was a disastrous turn of events that would have ruined the whole day had we not found the beautiful bay and tasty food. If you ever want to come here, you need to come off at the roundabout towards "Playa de Los Abrigos", park around there, then walk back into the bay
There's literally one fish restaurant on top of another round here, we chose the one down there, so that's the one I'll recommend. At first, they take you inside to show you everything so that you can choose and order straight away. We thought a platter for four people would be way too big, but it was all so delicious that we ate every last morsel
The kitten was fine, by the way, because we managed to break, and give the moron all the appropriate gestures. I don't know if the kitten even knew what was going on, but I like to think that it has learnt a valuable lesson to stop being friends with morons. We've all been there, as my friend Hannah would say
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Banana Mini Muffins
After going nuts over Pistachios its now time to go bananas! Seriously, I can see myself going from relatively sane to insane very soon. Its the dreaded time of the year around the corner...March, April and May. The kiddo's exams, more of work at office and the most dreaded long summer break... sigh!! Its virtually impossible to work from home with the kids around all day, my son groaning to go to an activity center, my daughter dutifully echoing her brother. I wonder how the younger ones so quickly latch on to things about the older ones - the not-so-good-things I mean. And to think that you will be a better parent just because you are a Mom second time is a mistake - a huge one! Brother and sister are chalk and cheese. He was never a kid to howl his lungs out, never made me dread the time he would return from school, a stern word would immediately put him back in place.
The daughter has manged to ruffle my feathers , well mine and most people around to be precise. 'Amma!!!!', she calls out to me, "Look - she has not folded up the blankets neatly'' - the 'she' is the flabbergasted house-help. She runs to the kitchen when I am just about to hand my hubby his morning cuppa, asking him very seriously "Do you want Amma's coffee or the coffee from my kitchen set?'' Hubby is torn between the two important women in his life. My attempt to scare her( as a last desperate resort ) by telling her that the garbage picker has come to warn naughty kids, fails miserably when she tells me "She is here to just pick up the garbage, you don't worry''. I am left racking my poor brains for the next smart thing I can do or say.
Son's friends come to call him for cycling or a bey blade battle when am I just all set for the home work session. For all the pain taken to get him to write in cursive for years, he suddenly decides that the other way of writing looks 'just awesome and cool'. When life ruffles your feathers, thank God there is always baking to make me feel better. Never found a better thing which can instantly make things appear suddenly brighter...A batch of delightful Banana Muffins- soft, tender and delicious, were the outcome of one such instance.
Recipe adapted from Joy Of Baking. I have halved the recipe to make 10 mini muffins. I find my digital kitchen scales very very handy for accurate measurements and definitely better baked goods. If you are serious about baking, its worthwhile investing in one. The only pre-planning you would need for this are the very ripe bananas.
The original recipe has walnuts and cinnamon added to it. You could add chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the batter to make these muffins even more better. Here is the recipe as given in Joy Of Baking. You could also watch a video of Stephanie bake these on her site.
This recipe yields 12 standard size muffins. I have halved the proportions below as I have found my previous banana bakes not- so- good. Do go ahead and bake these for the entire proportion below as my muffins disappeared pretty fast!
Ingredients:
All purpose Flour / Maida - 1 3/4 cup (230 grams)
Granulated white sugar - 3/4 cup (150 grams)
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda - 1/4 teaspoon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Ripe bananas - 3 large (454 grams) 11/2 cups
Unsalted butter - 1/2 Cup(113 grams), melted and cooled
Vanilla extract / essence - 1 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon(optional)
Chopped walnuts or chocolate chips - 1 cup (I did not use either, could have)
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon ( I do not use)
Procedure: Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C /350 degrees F. Grease your muffin pans.
Toast the walnuts lightly if using. You could toast them in the oven or on your stove top. Cool and then chop them roughly, keep aside. In a large bowl, combine the four, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, nuts and cinnamon. Whisk the eggs lightly in a small bowl. In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas( with a fork or with your hands). Its OK to have a few chunks here and there. Add the melted butter, vanilla and the whisked eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in the large bowl. With a silicone spatula, combine the ingredients. Mix well, but DO NOT OVERMIX. (if doing this for the first time, watch the video for this part). This can make the difference between soft and tough muffins.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups using two spoons or an ice-cream scoop. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. My small muffins took around the same time to bake surprisingly. Cool the tray on the rack for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins form the tray. Cool on the rack completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best eaten on the day they are baked.
These muffins tasted great warm with a slightly crisp top. They were not too sweet (as I had feared), very soft and tender, but not very light though. I guess most banana muffins and breads are a tad dense. Which is your most favorite banana bread/ muffin recipe? Tell me..
Un Petit Pois
Photo: Beatriz da Costa for Petit Pois
cupcakes with secret ingredients. Part of a new range made by the Paris-based baking business, Petis Pois, these cupcakes have no glitter, no butter, no great mound of sickly icing, last for five days and measure in at a mere 175 calories each.
These gluten free cupcakes, from Petit Pois, are low in calories and are packed full of 54% vegetables and include flavours such as vanilla and courgette, orange and pumpkin, lemon and courgette and chocolate and beetroot.
Although I find these intriguing, I do find the whole article a bit odd - it seems to lay claim to these cakes being a wonderful new thing that the "zany" bakers have invented, yet I've had courgette cupcakes before and have baked pumpkin and beetroot cupcakes myself.
According to Petit Pois' Facebook
The iconic green pea on top of each cupcake signals that this is a cake that is actually good for you. Our cakes are delicious, stylish, healthy, honest, and let’s just say it: full of vegetables.
Petis Pois cupcakes launch at Selfridges on 15th March, and although I question some of the press I do want to try them so shall be popping along soon after the launch. I wonder if they'll have pea cupcakes? That was going to be my secret ingredient for Cupcake Camp Bournemouth if I could've make it - I adore peas!
Finally, I don't mean to be pedantic but I class a cupcake as having some kind of frosting and I'd class these as being fairy cakes, but lets not open that can of worms again! And I'm not even commenting on the fact that the Evening Standard seem to think that no glitter and no butter is a good thing when it comes to cake...pah.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Pistachio Hot Milk Sponge
'You are what you eat - avoid nuts!'
Yikes!!! Does this cake look suspiciously like it has come from Mars?? I assure you - most definitely not! Its very much from my oven, with me adding in a bit too much color, in an attempt to make my Pistachio Hot Milk Sponge look prettier. I am nuts about nuts and nothing like the above quote can make me stay away from them! I love to munch on them as a snack and in my desserts and cakes. The one thing I ask hubby to get for me when he travels is nuts. Cosmetics, gadgets and all the other 'phoren' things don't hold much appeal for me. Since he loves nuts too, hubby makes it a point to get them. How I love to stash(read hide) them in the freezer and keep thinking about what I can do with them. Pistachios are a particular favorite- don't ask me why! They are supposed to be the lower in calories and fat among nuts, making them a healthy snack. If you are not new to my space you have seen these in my Kulfi, Pistachio Chocolate Fudge and Eggless Pistachio Cookies. Yes, I really love them..
After having used gulp!!-able quantities of butter in my recent bakes, I wanted to bake a cake which did not need copious amounts of butter, a whole lot of planning, time and effort in it. This recipe has 2 tablespoons butter added to hot milk and then the mixture goes into to the cake batter. Rings a bell? The Butter Sponge which I baked earlier is a similar recipe, but with more butter and lots of egg yolk. Though this is a cake with low amount of fat in it, the taste and texture was quite good. Its also very easy to make, making it a good recipe for a beginner.
Adapted from a book called 'Perfect Baking At Home'. The recipe goes like this.
Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 1 Cup
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 3/4 Cup ( I have used powdered sugar, please refer note)
Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
Eggs - 2
Milk - 1/2 cup
Pistachio essence - 3/4 teaspoon (refer note)
Chopped pistachios - 1/4 Cup
A tiny pinch of green food color (Refer note)
Procedure: Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C / 375 degrees F. Grease, line and lightly dust a 8'' round tin. Tap the tin to shake off any excess flour. Excess flour will give your cake a thick chewy crust.
Sieve the flour and baking powder twice. Keep aside.
Add a small pinch of flour to the chopped nuts, give a good shake to make sure the nuts are covered with flour. This helps avoid the nuts going to the bottom of the cake when you bake.
Heat the milk in a saucepan, add the butter to it. Cover to keep it hot.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs till thick. This is about 2 minutes on medium high speed with a hand mixer.
Add the sugar and beat for 5 minutes on medium speed. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
Add the essence and a little green food color to to the hot milk. (in case, the milk is no longer hot, heat it again). Stir it into the batter gently. Fold in the chopped nuts. The batter is neither thick nor thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Rap it gently against the kitchen counter. This settles the air bubbles and helps avoid a domed cake. Bake for 30 minutes or till a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the cake and transfer it to the rack. A neat way to do this would be to invert the cake onto a plate, re-invert on the rack. Cool completely.
Please Note :
Sugar: The original recipe has 1 cup of sugar. I have used 3/4 cup, the cake was just about sweet, I felt I could have added a tablespoon more.
Essence: Use good quality pistachio essence as a poor quality one can ruin the cake with an over-powering smell . You could of course use 1 teaspoon vanilla essence in place of pistachio as in the original recipe.
Color: If using gel paste, just a dip of a toothpick in the gel swirled into the milk should do the trick. Use a tiny drop of green color if using liquid color. The batter should look very very pale green. Anything more may give you a cake from Mars(like mine)!
This recipe makes quite a light textured cake, though not as light as the Butter Sponge. If you have just started baking, this one would be a good low fat tea cake for you to try.
This cake goes to Champa's Bake- Off
Are you the Cake Decorator of the Year?
I have two free tickets for the Ideal Home Show to give away in conjunction with their Ideal Cake Decorator of the Year competition. Tickets can be used on any weekday for the event but please make sure you can get to London for the event before entering – this giveaway is for the tickets only, you’ll have to make your own travel arrangements! The Ideal Home Show runs from the 11 – 27th March at Earl’s Court. I have always meant to go but never get round to it – maybe this year I shall make it!
Entrants to the competition are asked to bring down their Royal themed cake art, to the show on Wednesday 16th March to be displayed in the Ideal Food section of the show, to be in with the chance to win a wide range of prizes which include Champagne afternoon tea for two at the luxurious regency-style hotel, The Kensington, London. Other fantastic prizes include 12 month’s free subscription to Cake Craft and Decoration Magazine along with the winning cake featured in the magazine.
“We want cake decorating enthusiasts from across the UK to create the most fabulous and spectacular cake that is worthy of a Royal wedding and embodies all that is great and British.”
All the details can be found on the official website.
Alas although my cake decorating has improved dramatically over the years, I still don’t’ think I’m quite what they’re looking for – however I may pop along on the day and see the entries!
To be in with a chance of winning two tickets to the exhibition please leave a comment below with your contact details (blog, twitter or email) and the flavour of cake you’d celebrate the Royal Wedding with. Competition closes 28th February. If you mention this on Twitter, with my name @annecupcake and a link to this blog you have a second chance to enter! Giveaway is open only to those in the UK.
Good luck and please send me pics of your cakes if you take part!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Red Pumpkin Milk Stew
My side-dishes for flat-breads are mostly spicy. When I felt like having something slightly sweet for a change, there was the slice of red pumpkin in the refrigerator - rich in Vitamin A and fiber, low in calories. My mom used to make a stew called "parangikai pal kootu", which I decided to try.
Ingredients (serves 2):
pumpkin - 2 cups (peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes)
milk - 3/4 cup
sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger paste - 1/4 tsp
salt - 3/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)
green chillies - 3
grated coconut - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
black gram - 1/2 tsp
lemon juice - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tsp
Method:
Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a coarse paste in a food processor and keep aside. Heat oil and add mustard seeds and black gram. When it splutters, add pumpkin, salt, sambar powder, ginger paste and coconut mixture. Fry for a couple of minutes and then add milk. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Once the mixture just starts becoming mushy, add lemon juice, mix well and serve hot with rice or breads.
Notes:
This dish is kind of sweet and spicy. The traditional recipe calls for a touch of jaggery, but because the pumpkin in the US is already extra-sweet, I skipped this step.
Ingredients (serves 2):
pumpkin - 2 cups (peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes)
milk - 3/4 cup
sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger paste - 1/4 tsp
salt - 3/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)
green chillies - 3
grated coconut - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
black gram - 1/2 tsp
lemon juice - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tsp
Method:
Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a coarse paste in a food processor and keep aside. Heat oil and add mustard seeds and black gram. When it splutters, add pumpkin, salt, sambar powder, ginger paste and coconut mixture. Fry for a couple of minutes and then add milk. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Once the mixture just starts becoming mushy, add lemon juice, mix well and serve hot with rice or breads.
Notes:
This dish is kind of sweet and spicy. The traditional recipe calls for a touch of jaggery, but because the pumpkin in the US is already extra-sweet, I skipped this step.
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Friday, February 18, 2011
Cooking Terms
A la Newburg | A seafood cream sauce colored slightly with paprika and flavored with sherry wine |
A la Provencale | With garlic and oil |
A la broche | Food cooked on a skewer |
A la king | Food that is generally served in a white sauce with mushrooms, green peppers, and pimentos |
A la mode | Generally refers to ice cream served on top of pie or cake |
Aging | The term applied to meat being held at a temperature of 34-36 degrees F. for the purpose of making the meat more tender. |
Al dente | Refers to slightly chewy or being tough to the bite |
Allemande | A white sauce with egg yolks added |
Anchovy | A very small fish from the herring family |
Anisette | A cordial flavored with anise seed |
Antipasto | An Italian appetizer |
Appetizer | A small serving of food served before, after, or as the first course of a meal to stimulate the appetite |
Arrowroot | Used as a thickening agent in certain soups and sauces, bringing out a high sheen |
Aspic | A clear jelly typically made of stock and gelatin; Used as a glaze or garnish or to make a mold of meat, fish, or vegetables. |
Au gratin | Foods covered with a sauce, sprinkled with cheese or bread crumbs, or both, and baked to a golden brown |
Au jus | Food served with its natural juice |
Au lait | With milk |
Avacado | A thickened skin, pear-shaped tropical fruit with a green buttery flesh and can also be known as an alligator pear |
Bake | To cook by dry heat, usually in an oven. |
Barbecue Sauce | A highly-seasoned tomato-base sauce |
Barbecue | To cook over the embers or coals of an open fire |
Barder | To cover poultry or game with thin slices of bacon when roasting. Meaning to inject flavor and juice. |
Baste | To ladle drippings over a piece of meat being cooked as a roast to make it juicy and to prevent dryness |
Batter | A mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, milk, etc. which can be poured |
Bearnaise sauce | A Hollandaise sauce with a tarragon vinegar mixture added for use with meat and fish |
Beat | To lift a mixture with a spoon or an electric mixer to inject air and make the mixture smooth and creamy |
Bechamel | A white sauce, usually made with milk and cream |
Bercy | Sauce made of brown sauce, shallots, lemon juice, and white wine usually served with meat or fish |
Beurre noir | French term for browned butter |
Beurre | French term for butter |
Bigarade | A sweet-sour brown sauce, flavored with orange peel and juice and usually served with roast duck |
Biscuit | A small round quickbread, generally made using baking powder |
Bisque | A thick, rich cream soup generally made from shellfish |
Blacken | To coat fish or meat with pepper and/or other spices, then searing the meat in a hot skillet producing meat that is black on the outside but tender on the inside |
Blanch | To scald, make white, to partially cook an item, to place fruits or nuts in boiling water to remove the skins, or to dip vegetables in boiling water in preparation for freezing, canning, or drying |
Blanc | French term for white |
Blanquette | A stew of chicken, veal, or lamb in a white sauce |
Blend | To mix thoroughly two or more ingredients |
Blinis | Russian pancakes, usually served with caviar |
Blue points | Small oysters served raw on the half shell |
Boeuf | French term for beef |
Boiling point | The temperature reached when a mixture maintains a full bubbling motion on its surface |
Boil | To cook in a liquid, generally water, in which large bubbles rise quickly and steadily so that all the liquid is agitated |
Bordelaise | A brown sauce flavored with red wine usually served with beef entrees |
Borsch | A traditional Russian beet soup |
Bouchee | A very small patty, made of pastry and filled with creamed meat or fish |
Bouillabaisse | A fish soup or stew, usually made with 5-6 different fish or shellfish, flavored with white wine and seasoned with saffron |
Bouillon | A liquid similar to a stock, but cleaner and richer in flavor |
Bouquet-garni | A group of herbs tied together as a bouquet or in a cheese cloth bag for the purpose of cooking them with an item to season and makes for easy removal when they are done |
Bourguignonne | Meaning, with Burgundy Wine |
Braise | To cook meat by searing in fat, then simmering in a covered dish in a small amount of liquid or to brown meat or vegetables in hot fat, then to cook slowly in a small amount of liquid |
Brandy | An alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fruit juices |
Braten | German term for roast |
Breading | To coat an item with a mixture of flour, egg, and bread crumbs |
Brew | To cook in hot liquid until the flavor is extracted |
Brine | A liquid of salt and water or vinegar used in pickling |
Brioche | A roll made of light sweet dough, originated in France |
Brochette | Meat or other foods broiled on a skewer |
Broche | A skewer |
Broil | To cook by exposing the food directly to the heat |
Broth | The liquid that meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables have been simmered in |
Buffet | A table of ready-to-eat hot and/or cold foods, self-service generally with the exception of the hot foods |
Cacao | Cocoa, chocolate |
Cacciatore | An Italian term for sauteed chicken that is baked with a highly seasoned (basil and oregano) tomato sauce, diced mushrooms, and chives; also sometimes referred to as hunter-style |
Cafe au lait | A beverage consisting of equal parts of hot milk and coffee |
Cafe noir | Black coffee |
Cafe | French term for coffee |
Camembert | A soft full-flavored, ripened cheese made in the Camembert, France region and generally served as a dessert |
Canadian Bacon | Trimmed, pressed, smoked loin of pork that may be purchased cooked or uncooked |
Canape | An appetizer, toasted bread, or cracker covered with a tasty paste and garnished |
Canard | French word for Duck |
Candying | To cook certain fruits or vegetables in a heavy sweet syrup |
Caper | European flower bud seasoning or garnish. The buds are pickled in vinegar and packed in small green bottles. Its used generally as a tart condiment in sauces for meats or in veloute sauces for poached fish. |
Capon | A castrated young male chicken |
Caramelize | To heat granulated sugar to a golden brown color for the purpose of flavoring and coloring other food |
Carte du jour | Menu of the day |
Carte | The bill of fare or menu |
Casserole | A one-pot meal baked and served in an earthenware or glass dish |
Caviar | The salted eggs or roe of the sturgeon and other certain fish |
Cepes | A type of mushroom, generally canned in a brine |
Chablis | A white, good-bodied wine, sometimes referred to as white Burgundy |
Champignon | French term for mushroom |
Chantilly sauce | Hollandaise sauce with unsweetened whipped cream folded in |
Chantilly | Indicates the use of whipped cream |
Chasseur | French word meaning hunter style |
Chateaubriand | A thick beef tenderloin steak, weighing approximately one pound and cooked by broiling |
Chicory | A salad green from the endive family |
Chiffonade | Finely shredded or chopped vegetables used in soups or salad dressings |
Chop | To cut into small pieces using a knife or other sharp utensil |
Choux paste | A paste consisting of eggs, water, salt, shortening, and flour for making Eclairs and cream puffs |
Chutney | A spicey relish of fruits and spices generally served with curry dishes |
Cider | The juice from pressed apples used as a beverage or to make vinegar |
Citron | A lemon-like fruit with thicker skin, larger, and with less acid |
Clarify | To make a liquid clear by adding beaten egg white and egg shells. The egg jells in the hot liquid and cloudiness adheres to it and then the liquid is strained. |
Coatspoon | When a mixture forms a thin, even film on a spoon |
Coat | To cover the surface of one food with another |
Cobbler | A deep dish pie, generally made with fruit |
Cocktail | An appetizer served before or as the first course of a meal, an alcholic beverage served before the dinner, or a cut shell-fish with a tart sauce served at the start of a meal |
Coddle | To cook or simmer an item just below the boiling point for a short length of time |
Colbert Sauce | A sauce consisting of brown sauce, shallots, claret wine, butter, and lemon juice |
Compote | Fruits stewed in a syrup or a mixture of assorted stewed fruits |
Condiment | A seasoning for food, a spicy or pungent relish |
Consomme | A clear, strong flavored soup |
Coq au vin | Chicken in wine |
Core | To remove the central seed part of certain fruits, such as apples or pears |
Cottage pudding | Cake served with a warm sweet sauce |
Coupe | A shallow dessert dish or an actual dessert such as strawberry coupe |
Court bouillon | A liquid comprised of water, vinegar or wine, herbs and seasoning to poach fish in |
Cracklings | Crisp remains left after the fat has been fried out |
Cream | To beat until soft and fluffy, generally applies to shortening and sugar |
Creme | French word for cream |
Creole | Usually a soup or sauce containing tomatoes, onions, green peppers, celery, and seasoning |
Crepe | French word for pancake |
Cresson | French word for watercress |
Croissant | A crescent shaped roll |
Croquette | A ground food product, held together with the addition of a thick cream sauce and eggs, formed into balls or cones, breaded and fried in oil |
Croutons | Small cubes of bread browned to a golden color in the oven or deep fat fryer, generally served with soups or salads |
Cube | To cut into even, bite-size pieces |
Cuisine | A characteristic style of preparing food |
Cure | To preserve by pickling, salting, or drying |
Cut in | A part blended into another part |
Cutlet | A small flattened boneless piece of meat, generally referring to pork and veal |
Deglaze | Adding water to a pan in which meats have been sauteed or roasted to dissolve the crusted juice that has dried on the bottom and sides of the pan |
Demiglace | A rich brown stock reduced to only half of its original amount by simmering |
Demitasse | A small cup of black coffee |
Demi | French word for half |
Deviled | An item flavored with hot condiments such as pepper, mustard, or tabasco |
Diable | A term applied to deviled or highly seasoned food |
Dice | To cut into small cubes or squares |
Dissolve | To cause a dry substance to become fluid or to absorb into liquid |
Dot | To spot small particles of butter over the top of something |
Dough | A thick, soft uncooked mass of moistened flour and other ingredients |
Drawn butter | Melted butter |
Dredge | To coat an item with dry ingredients such as flour |
Dress | To trim or clean poultry or fish |
Drippings | The fat and natural juice that drips from roasted meats |
Du jour | French word meaning of the day |
Duchess potatoes | Boiled potatoes whipped with egg yolks and then pressed thru a pastry tube |
Duglere | With tomatoes, generally applied to a white fish sauce with crushed tomatoes flowing through it |
Dust | To sprinkle an item with flour or sugar |
Emulsify | A liquid mixture suspended in another mixture (generally eggs and oil) to prevent separation |
En brochette | To cook on a skewer |
En chemise | With their skin, generally referring to potatoes |
En coquille | Served in a shell |
En tasse | Served in a cup |
Entree | Main course of the meal |
Epicure | A lover of food and wine |
Epigramme | An entree of two pieces of meat prepared differently but generally cooked and served together |
Escallop | To cut into into thin slices or bake in a white sauce with a topping of crumbs |
Escargot | French word for Snail |
Escarole | A salad green from the endive family |
Espagnole sauce | A rich brown sauce of meat, vegetables, and seasoning |
Extract | Drawing flavors from certain foods, used to flavor other food items |
Farce | French word for Stuffing |
Farci | French word for Stuffed, as in meats or vegetables |
Farina | The coarsely ground inner portion of hard wheat |
Filet de sole | A boneless piece of fish belonging to the sole family of fish |
Filet mignon | Filets of beef tenderloin usually with no fat |
Fine herbs | A combination of three or four herbs chopped very fine |
Finnan haddie | Smoked haddock fish |
Flambeau | To serve on a flaming torch |
Flambe | Served aflame |
Florentine | With spinach |
Fold | To mix, using a motion beginning vertically down through the mixture, continuing across the bottom of the bowl and ending with an upward and over movement |
Fondant | An icing made by boiling sugar and water to the point of crystallization then whipping it into a creamy mass |
Fondue | A style of preparing foods which involves dipping vegetables, meats, breads into various heated sauces |
Forcemeat | Meat or fish ground very fine and highly seasoned and used for stuffing meat and fish |
Francaise | In the French style |
Frappe | Frozen or partly frozen to the consistency of mush for dessert items |
French Toast | Bread dipped in a batter of eggs and milk and fried til golden brown on both sides |
Frenched | To scrape meat and fat from bones of meat, generally associated with lamb chops or veal rib chops |
Fricassee | Pieces of chicken, lamb, or veal stewed in liquid and served in a sauce made from the same liquid |
Fritters | Food dipped or coated with a batter and fried to a golden brown in oil |
Fumet | A stock of fish, meat, or game reduced with wine until concentrated |
Garbanzo beans | Dried or canned Chick peas |
Garnish | To decorate a dish with an item to improve its look |
Garniture | French word for Garnish |
Gefulte fish | Fish fillets stuffed with a ground fish mixture and poached |
Gherkin | A small sweet or sour pickled cucumber |
Giblet | The gizzard, heart, and liver of Poultry |
Glace de viande | Reduced meat stock |
Glace | Glazed, iced, or frosted to cover with a glossy coating |
Glaze | To coat or cover an item with a glossy coating |
Goulash | A rich, savory brown stew and generally the main seasoning is paprika |
Gourmet | A connoisseur of fine foods and drink |
Grate | To rub or wear into small particles, by rubbing on the rough surface of a grater |
Griddle | A large, flat heavy pan with heat applied from the bottom |
Grits | Coarsely ground hominy |
Gruyere | A type of Swiss cheese made in France and Switzerland and has smaller holes than true Swiss cheese |
Gumbo | A rich creole-type soup consisting of chicken broth, onion, celery, green peppers, okra, tomatoes, and rice |
Hacher | Meaning to hash or mince |
Hard Sauce | A dessert sauce made of butter, lemon extract, sugar, and vanilla |
Hasenpfeffer | A German rabbit stew |
Head cheese | Jellied, spiced, pressed meat from the hog's head |
Herbs | Savory leaves such as tarragon, sage, basil, parsley, oregano, etc. |
Hollandaise | A rich, creamy sauce made of butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice |
Hominy | Hulled Indian corn used for a cereal food, coarsely ground or broken |
Homogenize | To break up fat globules into small particles, generally referring to milk |
Hongroise | Meaning in the Hungarian style or fashion |
Hors d'oeuvres | An appetizer typically served before a meal |
Hush puppies | A Southern deep fried food consisting of corn meal, milk, onions, baking powder, etc. |
Indienne | Dishes made in the style of India and generally containing curry powder as the main seasoning |
Infusion | Liquid extracted from tea, herbs, or coffee |
Irish stew | A white lamb stew generally made with lamb, carrots, turnips, potatoes, onions, dumplings, and seasonings |
Italienne | Made in the Italian style and generally using some sort of pasta |
Jambalaya | A combination of meat or seafood and rice cooked together |
Jardiniere | A garnish for meat dishes, generally consisting of carrots, celery, turnips, and sometimes peas |
Julienne | To cut into long, very thin strips |
Jus | Natural meat juice |
Karo | A fairly thin, light or dark corn syrup |
Kartoffel klosse | A German potato dumpling |
Kebob or Kabob | Small cubes of meat and/or vegetables roasted on a skewer |
Kippered | Lightly salted and smoked fish |
Kirschwasser | A liqueur made from cherries and commonly used to flame certain dishes |
Kitchen bouquet | Brand name for a bottle seasoning used to flavor and color gravy |
Knead | To place dough on a flat surface and work it, pressing down with your hands, then folding over and over again |
Kohlrabi | Vegetable in the cabbage family with a larger edible turnip-like stem |
Kosher | Meat that is butchered and processed according to the Hebrew religious laws |
Kuchen | German cakes made with sweet yeast dough |
Kummel | Liqueur flavored with caraway seed |
Kumquat | A small citrus fruit resembling a small orange, about the size and shape of an olive |
Lait | French word for Milk |
Lamb fries | Lamb testicles |
Langouste | French word for Lobster or Crawfish |
Larding | Inserting strips of salt pork into meat to add flavor and prevent dryness while roasting, using a larding needle and drawing the strip of salt pork through the meat |
Leek | A plant from the green onion family with little or no bulb and fairly long broad, mild-flavored green stems. The green stems are used to season or flavor foods |
Legumes | Dried vegetables such as beans, lentils, and split peas |
Lentil | A flat edible seed of the pea family generally used in soup |
Limburger Cheese | Soft, rich, odorous, ripened cheese originally made in Belgium |
London Broil | A broiled flank steak, sliced on the bias and generally served with a rich mushroom or Bordelaise sauce |
Lyonnaise | To prepare and serve with onions |
Macedoine | A blended combination of fruit or vegetables |
Madrilene | A clear consomme with a tomato base, served jellied or hot |
Marinade | A brine or pickling solution in which meat can be soaked before cooking to alter or enrich the flavor |
Marinate | To let food stand in a liquid that will add flavor and tenderize |
Marrow | Soft tissue from the center of beef and veal bones |
Marsala | A semi-dry Italian sherry wine |
Masking | To coven an item completely with a sauce or another ingredient |
Mayonnaise | A rich salad dressing emulsified by whipping together eggs, oil, and vinegar |
Melt | To dissolve or make liquid by heating |
Menthe | French word for Mint |
Menu | The list of foods served or Bill of Fare |
Meringue | Egg whites and sugar beaten together to form a white frothy mass, generally used to top pies and cakes |
Meuniere | Pan fried, served with butter freshly browned, lemon juice, and chopped parsley |
Mignon | Small pieces of beef tenderloin |
Milannaise | Generally used when some type of pasta is being served |
Mincemeat | A blended mixture of finely chopped cooked beef, currants, apples, suet, and spices |
Mince | To cut food into very small, fine pieces |
Minestrone | A thick Italian soup made with vegetables, dried legumes, and pasta |
Minute Steak | A small, fairly thin, boneless sirloin steak |
Mirepoix | A mixture of fairly fine, diced vegetables such as carrots, onions, and celery |
Mixed grill | A combination of any four broiled or grilled items, generally lamb chop, bacon, sausage, and tomato slices |
Mixing | To combine two or more ingredients |
Mocha | A flavoring made of coffee and chocolate |
Mold | A metal form in which you can shape certain foods to make them look more attractive |
Mornay sauce | A rich cream sauce with eggs and Parmesan cheese added |
Mousse | A frozen dessert made mainly with whipped cream, sweetening, and flavoring |
Mozarella | A fairly soft Italian cheese with a rubbery texture and is great to use in making pizza |
Mutton | The flesh or meat of a mature sheep |
Napoleons | A French pastry made my separating the layers of pastry with a cream filling and topping with an icing |
Navarin | A rich brown mutton stew garnished with turnips and carrots |
Noir | French word for Black |
Noisette | Small pieces of loin of lamb or pork, generally the eye of the chop, without the bone and fat, either broiled or sauteed |
Nougat | Generally a confection of pasty consistency, containing sugar, almonds, and pistachio nuts |
O'Brien | Generally with green peppers and pimientos, usually diced small |
Oeuf | French word meaning Egg |
Omelet | Beaten eggs, seasoned, fried with butter or grease in a pan until it starts to puff then folded over or rolled |
Panache | Two or more kinds of one item in a dish, mixing colors |
Papaya | A tropical fruit from which the juice can be used to tenderize certain meats |
Papillote | Generally the item associated with this word is cooked and served in paper |
Parboil | To partially cook or boil in water |
Pare | To cut off the outer covering or skin with a knife or other sharp tool |
Parfait | Different colored ice creams served in a tall parfait glass with syrup and often fruit, topped with whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a cherry |
Parisienne | French for Female, but in cooking generally refers to potatoes cut into small round balls using a Parisienne scoop |
Parmentiere | Usually means soup containing potatoes or served with potatoes |
Parmesan | A hard Italian cheese, usually sold in the grated or powdered form |
Pastry bag | A duck cloth, cone bag with a metal or plastic tip at the small end used to decorate foods |
Pate | A paste of ground meat or liver |
Paysanne | Usually vegetables diced small or shredded |
Peel | To strip off an outer covering or skin |
Persillade | Garnished with parsley |
Petite | French word for Small |
Petits fours | Small cakes iced with fondant and decorated |
Pilaf or Pilau | Rice cooked in chicken stock with minced onions and seasonings |
Pimiento | Sweet red peppers, canned |
Piquant | Generally a sauce that is sharp and tart to the taste |
Planked | Meat or fish served on a board usually garnished with duchess potatoes and vegetables |
Poach | To cook in water that bubbles only slightly |
Poisson | French word meaning Fish |
Polonaise | A garnish consisting of bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and hard-boiled eggs |
Pomme | French word meaning Apple |
Popovers | Quick, puffed-up hot bread made of milk, sugar, eggs, and flour generally containing a fruit mixture |
Pot pie | Meat and vegetables in a rich creamy sauce, covered with a pie crust |
Potage | A thick soup |
Poulet | French word meaning Chicken |
Printaniere | Served with several different small cut spring vegetables |
Proof | To let yeast dough rise by setting it in a warm, moist place of at least 85 degrees F |
Puree | Any type of food cooked to a pulp |
Quahog | Indian name for the large Atlantic Coast clams |
Quenelle | A meat dumpling, generally made with chicken or veal |
Ragout | A thick, savory brown stew |
Ramekin | A small shallow baking dish in which foods can be baked and served in |
Rasher | A thin slice of bacon |
Ravigote | Cold sauce, made with mayonnaise base, chopped green herb, and tarragon vinegar with a tart taste |
Ravioli | Small, square noodle dough cases filled with seasoned ground meat, grated seasoned cheese, or finely chopped seasoned vegetables and served with a meat or mariana sauce |
Reduce | To concentrate a liquid by simmering for a long time |
Remoulade sauce | A highly seasoned cold sauce similar to tartar sauce, but using mustard and ground pepper added |
Render | To cook the grease out of animal fat |
Risotto | Rice baked with minced onions and meat stock and adding Parmesan cheese after baking |
Rissole | French word for Brown |
Roe | Fish eggs |
Romaine | Mild flavored,long narrow, and crisp leaves of salad greens of which the outer leaves are a fairly dark green and the inner leaves are light in color |
Roquefort | A famous French blue vein cheese |
Roti | French word meaning Roast |
Rouge | French word meaning Red |
Roulade | Rolled meat or a meat roll |
Roux | A mixture of fat and flour cooked together, usually in equal parts, over low heat until the flour and fat blend together smoothly and is used to thicken soups, sauces, gravies, and stews |
Royale | A mixture of cream and eggs baked into a custard for garnishing a consomme and broth |
Salami | A highly seasoned dried sausage made from pork, beef, or venison |
Sauerbraten | A sour beef pot roast that has been marinated 3-5 days in a vinegar solution to sour the beef and served with a sour sauce |
Saute | To quickly heat meat or vegetables in fat in an open pan |
Sautoir | A heavy, flat, copper sauce pan |
Scald | To heat milk or cream just below the boiling point until a scum forms on the surface |
Scallion | The muscle of a sea mollusk which operates the opening and closing of the two shells |
Scone | A type of Scottish quick bread similar to a biscuit |
Score | To mark the surface of certain foods with shallow slits to improve appearance of increase tenderness |
Scrapple | A food made by boiling together seasoned chopped meat, generally pork and corn meal or flour and served in fried slices |
Scrod | A young cod or haddock fish |
Sear | To scorch or char the surface of meat quickly, sealing in the juices |
Shred | Cut into thin pieces, using the large holes of a grater or cheese shredder |
Simmer | To cook liquid just below the boiling point |
Smother | To cook in a covered container until tender or cover an item with another item completely |
Sole | A flat, white-meated fish found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans |
Souffle | A very light, puffed up item, generally caused by folding beaten egg whites into a basic batter |
Spaetzles | A heavy Austrian noodle made by running a heavy batter through a large hole colander into boiling stock |
Spit | A pointed metal rod used for roasting meats over an open fire |
Spoon bread | A southern type of corn bread baked in a casserole and of a texture so that it must be served with a spoon |
Squab | A young pigeon that has never flown |
Steep | To soak in a hot liquid to extract flavor and color or to soften |
Stew | To cook meat and vegetables in liquid just below the boiling point |
Stir | To blend ingredients using a circular motion |
Stock | The liquid in which meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables have been cooked |
Stroganoff | Sauteed pieces of beef tenderloin, cooked gently using a sour cream sauce |
Suet | The hard fat around the kidney and loins of mutton and beef animals used in cooking and for making tallow |
Sweetbreads | The thymus gland of calves and lambs |
Swiss chard | In the beet family and the leaves are used as a vegetable and for salad and is cooked like spinach |
Tabasco sauce | A hot red pepper sauce |
Tapioca | A starch prepared from the roots of a bitter cassava plant for use in pudding and for thickening some soups |
Tartare Steak | Highly seasoned, ground beef steak served raw as an appetizer |
Tart | Small individual pies, filled with fruit or fruit and cream, without a crust on top |
Tasse | French word meanin Cup |
Tenderloin | A strip of very tender meat generally referring to beef, pork, lamb, and veal |
Terapin | Fresh-water turtles, used as food |
Terrine | An earthenware pot resembling a casserole |
Torte | A fairly small, rich, decorated cake |
Tortilla | Mexican griddle cake, a flat, unleavened corn cake baked on a heated stone or iron |
Toss | To cause a rising and falling action for the purpose of blending ingredients together as in salads |
Tournedos | Small, round, fairly thin slices of beef tenderloin generally sauteed or broiled |
Tripe | The edible lining of a beef stomach |
Truffle | Similar to the mushroom, a black fungus grown mainly in France they are used for seasoning and garnishing |
Truss | To bind or fasten with string or skewers such as preparing poultry for roasting |
Tureen | A large deep kettle in which soup is served, generally made of silver |
Venison | Deer meat |
Vermicelli | Long fine rods of pasta similar to spaghetti, but thinner |
Viande | French word meaning Meat |
Vichyssoise | A cream of potato soup that is served cold |
Vin | French word meaning Wine |
Vol au vent | A case or shell made of pastry that is filled with a meat or poultry mixture and served covered with a lid of pastry |
Wellington | Beef tenderloin baked in a rich dough until the meat is slightly rare and the crust is crisp and golden |
Welsh rarebit | Melted cheddar cheese, flavored with beer, mustard, and worcestershire sauce and served very hot over toast |
Whip | To beat rapidly to increase volume and incorporate air |
Wiener Schnitzel | A veal cutlet, breaded and fried |
Wild rice | The brown seed of a tall northern water grass, usually served with wild game |
Zest | A rind of lemon or orange |
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